lever



(No Model.)

T. H. LEVER. MACHINE FOR BLAGKING BOOTS 0R SHOES. No. 500,502. PatentedJune 27, 1893.

WmSM/F 7 I: MA/M,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. LEVER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TOEDWARD A. CARTER, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR BLACKING BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,502, dated June 27,1893. Application filed August 3, 1892- Serial No. 442,024. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. LEVER, of the city of St. Louis and Stateof Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Blacking Boots or Shoes, of which the following is afull,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to an improved machine for cleaning and polishingboots or shoes, and consists in the novel arrangement andcombination ofpartshereinafterdescribed and designated in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple and effectivemachine for cleaning and polishing boots or shoes, which shall haveseparate polishing and blacking brushspools mounted to revolvesimultaneously.

A further object of myinvention is to provide improved devices formounting and revolvingthe brush-spools, and for distributing blacking tothe tufts of the blacking brush during movement.

In the drawings, Figure 1, is a front elevation of a machine embodyingmy invention, parts being broken away. Fig. 2, is an end elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a section on the line a: a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is adetail view, in perspective, of a movable blacking-receptacle and itsconnections, detached. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of theblacking-receptacle taken on line y y of Fig. 4.. Y

1 indicates a horizontal shaft revolubly mounted in bearings carried byvertical supports 2 projecting from the base 3 of the machine, onesupport adjacent each end of said base.

, wearer.

7 indicates a series of tufts of bristles or other brush material,disposed in longitudinal separate lines upon each of the spools 4 and 5,in the peripheral grooves 6 thereof, so that the free ends of said tuftsform a brush surface conforming to the curve of the peripheral surfaceof said spools. Of course the brush surface may have its tufts arrangedin any known manner, different from that above described.

8 indicates a movable blacking receptacle, which is adapted to containthe ordinaryblacking or polishing material and distribute it to thetufts of the blackin g spool 5 during operation. This receptacle isprovided with an internal chamber for containing the blackin g, with acurved front wall 9, conforming in shape to the curved surface of theblacking brush, and having a series of vertical discharge slots 10,through which latter the blacking is ejected by a curved follower 11mounted in said chamber. Of course the specific shape of the slots 9 maybe varied-instead of. being rectangular as shown, they may be circular.

One side, preferably the rear side, of the receptacle 8 is maderemovable, so that the follower 11 may be removed from said chamber andblacking or polishing material be supplied to said chamber. The rearplate 12 of the receptacle 8 is removably secured in position by meansof suitable screws, rivets or bolts 13, passed through said plate andthrough the projecting flanges 14 formed on said receptacle. The top orbottom plate could be made removable in a similar manner by an ordinarymechanic and for a like purpose.

The receptacle 8 is movably mounted upon, or connected to the upper endof a rocking arm. 15, and is disposed at a point adjacent the blackingspool 5, preferably in the rear thereof, so as to be moved into contactwith the revolving tufts of the blacking brush during operation, andrest out of contact therewith normally. The rear plate 12 is providedwith an angular aperture 16 in which an angular shank 17 is looselymounted to slide, and this shank is connected at its outer ends to theupper end of the arm 15, and carries the follower 11 upon its inner end.The follower 11 is fixed upon the inner end of the shank 17 so as tomove therewith, while the receptacle S is loosely mounted upon saidshank, to slide, in the manner hereinafter stated. The lower end of thearm 15 is pivotally secured to some fixed portion, of the base 3. Itpreferably extends downward through a slot 18 formed in the top of thebase, and is pivotally mounted upon a bracket 19 secured to the saidbase. Extending forward from and connected to the lower end of said arm15 is a horizontal arm 20 which extends beneath the top plate of thebase to a point adjacent the front side of the same, and is thereprovided with a depressible foot-piece 21, which latter is provided witha vertical shank 22 projecting upward from said arm 20 through the topplate of said base, at a point convenient for the foot of the operator.

23 indicates a spring, coiled about the vertical shank 22 of thefoot-piece 21, and having its upper end in engagement with saidfootpiece and its lower resting upon the top plate of the base 3. Thepurpose of this spring is to normally draw the free end of the arm 20upward and hold the blacking receptacle 8 out of engagement with theblacking brush.

24 and 25 indicate, respectively ordinary tight and loose pulleys, whichare mounted. upon a projecting end of the shaft 1 and arranged to beengaged by a belt 26, to revolve said shaft. The spools 4 and 5 may berevolved in this manner by steam or other power.

27 indicates a dust hood, having a closed rear side and end, and an openfront side l0- cated closely adjacent the spools 4 and 5, upon the rearside of the machine, so as to catch the dirt and rubbish removed fromthe boots or shoes during the cleaning and polishing operations, anddirect the same down ward through a suitable opening in the top plate ofthe base and into a removable drawer or box 28 contained within saidbase.

The front side of the drawer is provided with suitable handles, forconvenience in handling said drawer.

29 indicates the opening or passage in the 1 top plate of the base, forpassage of dirt and rubbish into the said base.

The operation is as follows:-The shaft 1 is 1 to be continuouslyrevolved in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3 so asto impart a simultaneous movement to the. spools 4 and 5. Then theoperator places his 1 foot upon the top plate of the base 3 in such i aposition that the upper of his boot or shoe will be forcibly broughtinto contact with the projecting tufts of the cleaning spool, in which jposition it is held until said upper is thoroughly brushed and cleaned,after which the operator should place the same foot above the said spooland then such other parts of:

his boot or shoe as were not cleaned by the 1 form er operation intocontact with said tufts, and hold them there until theyare thoroughlycleaned. Then the operator should place the boot or shoe beneath thespool5 of the blacking brush, and place his other foot upon thefoot-piece 21, which will have the effect of depressing the outer end ofarm 20, and of forcing the blacking receptacle 8 toward said blackingbrush, and of bringing the curved front wall 9 of said receptacleforcibly into contact with the revolving tufts of said brush. As theinward movement of the arm 15 continues the shank 17 carrying thefollower 11 will be forced inwardly, and said follower will force theblacking contained in said receptacle outward through the slots 10 insaid curved wall, and the blacking so fed will be removed and taken upby saidrevolving'tufts, and applied to the upper of the boot or shoe. Itwill be observed that blacking will be distributed to each of the tuftsof the blacking brush, by reason of the curved front wall of theblacking receptacle fitting the curved blackin g surface of the brush.To apply blacking to the other portions of the boot or shoe, all theoperator need do is to so adjust his foot that said portions will beforcibly brought into contact with some portion of the revolvingblacking brush. To polish the boot or shoe it will now only be necessaryto return to the cleaning and polishing brush, which was previously usedto clean the boot or shoe, and proceed in the manner above described. Ofcourse the operator can determine how much blacking is being fed fromthe blacking receptacle, and will regulate the pressure of his foot uponthe foot-piece 21 accordingly. As soon as pressure is removed from thefoot-piece 21, the spring 23 will cause the blacking receptacle toresume its normal position, which is that shown in solid lines in Figs.2 and 3.

What I claim is- 1. In a machine for blacking boots and shoes, thecombination, with a rotary brush, of a blacking receptacle normallywithheld from contact therewith, said receptacle consistl ing of acasing, and afollower loosely mounted in said casing and adapted toautomatically feed the blacking to the brush when the receptacle isbrought into contact with said brush; substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a machine for blacking boots and shoes, the combination, with arotary brush, of a blacking receptacle, a foot lever connected with andadapted to throw the receptacle into contact with the brush, and aspring for normally retaining the receptacle out of operative position;substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for polishing boots and shoes, the combination of arevoluble blacking-brush, a movable blacking receptacle 8, a rocking arm15 pivotally mounted at a point adjacent the blacking-brush andcarbrush, substantially as and for the purpose rying the said blackingreceptacle, a horispecified. [o zontal arm 20 extending from saidrocking- In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in arm, a foot-piece21 having a shank 22 sepresence of two Witnesses.

cured to said horizontal arm and located con- THOMAS H. LEVER. venientfor the foot of the operator, and a Witnesses:

spring which normally holds said blacking re- ED. E. LONGAN,

ceptacle out of contact with said blacking- ALFRED A. EIOKS.

